Falling and fall related injuries are the fifth leading cause
of death in the developed world, and researchers at the University of British Columbia
(UBC) say that medications being prescribed to the elderly may substantially
contribute to this death toll.

UBC researchers performed a statistical analysis on data
from more than 79 000 people aged 60 and over who were using different over the
counter and prescription medications. They compared rates of falling to the use
of 9 different classes of drugs, looking to see which drugs, if any, caused an
increased risk of falling.

The Results

Antidepressants
cause the most falls (The researchers say that older classes of antidepressants
can have significant sedative properties)

Other
classes of medications associated with an increased risk of falling
included benzodiazepines and anti-psychotic/neuroleptics.

Surprisingly,
opiates pain killers were not associated with an increased risk of falling
in this study.

The researchers say that the prescribing of certain
medications to the elderly is on the increase (1 in 7 seniors over the age of
80 in B.C. took an antidepressant in 2006), but that in some cases, medication
may not be the most beneficial course of treatment.

Lead researcher Carlo Marra commented on the significance of
the study results, saying, “These findings reinforce the need for judicious use
of medications in elderly people at risk of falling. Safer alternatives, such
as counseling, shorter-term or less-sedating therapies, may be more appropriate
for certain conditions."